This invention relates generally to cartons, and, more specifically, to a device for stabilizing open-top cartons.
Many types of open-top cartons are known in the art, for example, six-packs and eight-packs for carrying soda and beer. When these cartons are delivered to the store, they are carried in groups or in larger, sturdier containers, giving them stability so they do not tip over. However, when they are purchased by the consumer, individually or in small quantities, they are relatively unstable and may tend to tip over while being conveyed to the consumer's home. The present invention provides a simple device which the consumer may use to increase the stability of one or more cartons so as to greatly reduce the likelihood that they will tip over. The present invention also may carry trademarks, logos, or other markings so as to serve as a form of advertising for the manufacturer of the soda or other type of product which is carried in the carton. The advertising feature of this device is important, because it provides a method for advertising a given brand of product even when the consumer does not have any of the product on hand and even when the consumer is using the device to stabilize a different brand of product.
Some devices have been used in the past for stabilizing cartons. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,146,505 "Hansen" describes a clip for holding cartons together to increase their stability. This clip would do nothing to increase the stability of a single carton, and, because it is carried entirely inside the cartons, would not be useful as an advertising device.